Picture-frame



Patent ed Dec. 8,- 1891.

W O 4 I 4 n WWW MWJDW WWW W M M I W W I l I i NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. FOSTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PICTURE-FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,560, dated December 8, 1891.

Application filed August 17, 1891. Serial No. 402,856. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Impro vements in Picture-Fra1nes,which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 shows my said newly-invented picture-frame on its rear side. Fig. 2 shows a central transverse longitudinal section of Fig. 1.

Like letters refer to like parts.

The object of my invention is to produce picture-frames adapted more particularly for small or moderate-sized pictures, which shall be easily and cheaply made from a single board, and therefore have all the grain or fibers of the material running in the same direction, be strong'and durable and retain its form, and be free from joints in the corners, which are so unsightly and difficult tov hide sufficiently in frames made inthe usual way, and particularly so in small frames. Therefore to attain said desirable ends I construct my said improved picture-fames in substantially the following manner, namely:

I select boards of suitable quality and size and cut and shape them to the required exterior form and size of the picture-frame. About midway between the lengths of the transverse ends of the sighted frame a I cut holes of suitable size, as shown, into which I drive straight steel bars or wires cl, steel only, preferably, because the strongest metal within proper price for the purpose. Said bars are to be loose enough, however, to allow the required freedom of the wood on the bars in shrinking and swelling, and are also to be slightly shorter than the width of the frame, the ends of the holes being closed with any suitable substance eas wood, cork, putty, or like materialupon the surface of which the required ornamentation and finish of the frame can be placed, care being taken to leave a space between the ends of the rods and plugs to permit the necessary shrinkage of the frame without disturbing the plugs or otherwise splitting the frame. The object of said metal bars is to hold the frames from liability to split apart and from warping, 'while at the same time they allow the necessary motion in the swelling and shrinking of the longitudinal fibers of the wood. The fibers of the wood are indicated in Fig. 1 by the broken lines over the frame. Through said construction even imperfectly-seasoned wood may be used without any disadvantage or inconvenience and finished, because by this construe tion the seasoning may go on and be completed even after the frame is finished and ed, and'which will then be on a surface of the most desirable kind, because free from all joints, and which is less liable by seasoning to show joints at any time of its life, nor will it show the marks of the holes into which the bars d were inserted.

That I claim is- A jointless sighted wooden picture-frame cut out of a board whereof its grain runs in one general direction, provided with plugged holes filled with metal rods and free spaces between said rods and plugs, said holes cut across the grain between the sight and ends of the frame fromedge to edge thereof, sub stantial] y as specified.

HENRY A. FOSTER. Witnesses:

WM. ZIMMERMAN, ANTON FOUGNER. 

